We bought our licenses last week and Ethan has been begging to go fishing. SOooo..last night we packed up all the gear in the van and went to a pond not far from home, only about 10 minutes. Dustin brought Xena and JLee too. There's also a playground at this place..so that's nice. He took Noah and JLee over to play when they got bored. I did catch a carp. Not good for anything. Ethan caught a tiny one..could've been a trout or a bass. I spent most of the time untangling people's lines. Then Gabe took Ethan and went under the bridge near us to fish..and I stayed put with Xena. Our van was parked close to us..and I had the doors open because Mikey had JUST woken up from his nap and I had just gotten him out and put in his stroller. Then this DOG comes along....someones German shorthair pointer..it started wading in the water right where we're fishing..no owner in sight. It would not go away! I even slepped it on the rump with my fishing pole..didn't phase him. Then it tried to get my bobber..so we knew we were pretty much done..and Xena is upset so she takes off up to the playground to Dustin saying that this dog is in the water scaring the fish away. Next thing I know..this guy comes along apologizing..he overheard Xena. So he's trying to coax his dog out of the water..(it's name was River..how appropriate)..he gets it to come out..but it certainly wasn't obedient..running all over the place..then it JUMPED IN MY VAN!
I had the sliding door open from when I got Mikey out..this dog jumped in and walked over both car seats..then in the front drivers seat..and the guy had to reach in and pull him out the passenger side. I mean..it was a little funny to watch, I was laughing a little..and B was giggling too...but not so funny once I saw my van. At least my van isn't the cleanest vehicle on earth..but I don't make a habit of dousing the seats with river water either. It was gross. The guy did apologize..he was angry at his dog..and embarassed..so I didn't want to make it worse for him. But YUCK! Now I have to disinfect my van today.
This is why they have leash laws!
About Me
- AndreaBeth
- Welcome! We are a homeschooling family of 12 living a smallish home, with a Lab named Samson, a Morkie named Cookie, and square foot gardens. Loving the Lord and learning as we go!
Us.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Thursday, April 06, 2006
I Know Whom I Have Believed--Chip Brogden
I Know Whom I Have Believed by Chip Brogden
The Scriptures exhort us to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." Our spiritual growth may be generally discussed as occurring in three seasons of development. Please do not use this teaching to examine where others are, but use it to examine yourself and see if you are indeed growing and maturing in the knowledge of Christ.
I will use the terms "immature" and "childish", but not with the intention of disdaining the young. I am simply contrasting maturity with immaturity, adulthood with childhood. My children are immature, but I cannot expect them to be anything other than immature so long as they are children. I am lovingly committed to their long-term growth. In the same way, let us not despise the spiritually immature or the weak in faith. Instead, the Word tells us to receive them and watch over them. For those of you who are further along, never forget how many years of God's dealings it took to bring you to the level of experience you take for granted today.
With those words of introduction, let us discuss the beginning season of the Christian life. The Child Says, "I Know WHAT I Believe" In the beginning of the Christian walk we are primarily concerned with WHAT we believe. We depend heavily upon other Christians, the pastor, or the church to tell us what we should believe. Our belief systems are established according to what we hear, see, or are taught during these formative years of spiritual development. Not being experienced in the ways of the Lord we naturally give attention to those Christians who have known the Lord longer that we may learn the essential doctrines of our faith. Whoever or whatever influences us as a spiritual child will usually shape and mold us into what we will become twenty, thirty, or fifty years hence.
Participation in Sunday School classes, Bible studies, church attendance, retreats, conferences and seminars is seen as a desirable and necessary step towards becoming a strong Christian. Memorizing a catechism, statement of fundamental truths, or doctrinal position is often a prerequisite to church membership. As the particular belief system is identified and reinforced, the young Christian may come to identify with social labels such as Fundamentalist, Evangelical, Charismatic, or Conservative. Labels are important to the spiritually immature because it allows them to sum up an entire ideology in one succinct title which provides instant recognition and camaraderie with those of the same genre. Baptists believe certain things, as do the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Lutherans, the Catholics, the Pentecostals, and even the so-called Non-Denominationals or Independents. Identifying yourself as one or the other immediately brings you into the good company, fellowship, and relationship with others whose particular belief systems most resemble your own.
New Christians (or old Christians who remain childish) are acutely interested in WHAT they believe, seeking to have all the I's and T's of their personal theology dotted and crossed. In the process they usually major in the minors and strain out a gnat to swallow a camel. Doctrinal discussion and religious wranglings are the seedbed of most vain speaking, arguments, hurt feelings, biting and devouring.
Once they are settled into WHAT they believe it is nearly impossible to convince them otherwise, and any perceived threat to their belief system is met with hostility, anger, confusion, even depression. I heard of a Bible study that was devoted to a particular issue. An outsider posed the question: WHY do you believe this? The indignant answer was, "Because the Bible says so" and a chapter and verse reference was given. But how do you know the Bible is true? Because the Bible is the Word of God. How do you know the Bible is the Word of God? Because the Bible says so. And so on.
Christians at this stage of spiritual growth cannot reply, except to say that you just have to believe it by faith (even though God has never required us to believe something without offering substantial, albeit invisible, proof - but that is a topic for another discussion). The leader of this Bible study could answer to WHAT she believed, but she could not reply to WHY she believed it because her particular belief system would not allow for a frank and open discussion on the inspiration of the very Scriptures she was citing. God said it (or the pastor said God said it) , I believe it, and that settles it. End of conversation.
Children are often told to do thus-and-so, and when they invariably ask why, the answer is usually, "Because I said so." Such an answer is sufficient for them at THAT stage, but when the child becomes a teenager a simple "Because I said so" is insulting. As an adult it is offensive. Why is this? Because it does not allow for input, feedback, or questions. What is lost? The experience of LEARNING and becoming mature.
Is the Bible the inspired Word of God? Well of course it is. But not because it says it is, and not because the pastor says so or the church says so, or I say so. Do you know WHY it is the inspired Word of God? Have you ever wondered why? "Because the Bible says so" is sufficient enough for a new Christian, but you must move beyond the elementary if you ever hope to experience or lead others into the full knowledge of Christ.
The Young Adult Says, "I Know WHY I Believe" The one who knows WHAT they believe is always threatened by the one who knows WHY. Unfortunately some never grow to the point that they ever ask why. They see no need to ask why, and therein lies the reason for their perpetual childhood, their incessant carnal fighting and vain blabbering. To ask why is to commit the unpardonable sin! To question the church, its leaders, or its teachings is to jeopardize your eternal soul! People with faith are not supposed to ask why. People properly submitted to authority are not supposed to ask why. If you don't know why, they say, focus on what, and don't worry about why.
Allow me to say it as plainly as I can: to discourage the asking of WHY is to stunt the spiritual growth of yourself and others. An immature Christian is one who does not permit himself or others to question anything incorporated into their belief system.
Yes, it is true that many who grow up in the church and begin asking WHY often appear to backslide or end up leaving the church altogether. This healthy questioning, searching, and seeking for truth Jesus called "hungering and thirsting after righteousness." The promise is, "They shall be filled." They are The Blessed, not The Backslidden. Jesus is simply leading them elsewhere because He cannot fill them where they are. The quest for Truth, and the subsequent filling, almost never takes place WHERE YOU ARE, but WHERE GOD WANTS TO BRING YOU. If you are hungry and thirsty for what is right, for what is true, then you will be filled. It did not say where or how, only THAT. I cannot presume to say where or how He may lead you, only that He will.
You see, knowing WHAT you believe brings a certain aura of satisfaction and security which is akin to nursing at your mothers breast. It is an important first step in the Christian life, but that is all a first step, a means to an end, not THE end. We are not suggesting that you do not have to know WHAT you believe. We are saying that real progress begins when you begin to get an inkling as to WHY you believe it. This is the middle stage of spiritual growth. Like knowing what, knowing why is an important step, but it is not the end either. It is merely a rite of passage between childishness and maturity. It is the literal enlargement of one's capacity for Truth, and of course, for Christ Who is Truth. It is the spiritual equivalent of puberty, a time of great change, rapid growth, and of great turmoil, emotionally and spiritually.
An exciting thing begins to happen in the spiritual life of the Christian who desires to grow and mature. It is hoped that after some progress in spiritual things, once the new Christian has experienced a few defeats or disappointments, that he or she will ask, "Is there more to the Christian life than what I am experiencing?" Oh, blessed question! How God has worked long and hard to bring the Christian to this point! And the Answer which God so desires to give us is, "Yes! There is more to this Life! You have but scratched the surface!" The Question often comes to us in the middle of a church service, when everyone else seems to be worshiping the Lord and having a good time. We try to join in but the Question continues to bother us week after week until we resolve to do something about it.
But what usually happens? The church will often reassure the babes that all is well as long as they ignore how they feel, keep attending church, reading their Bibles, saying their prayers, etc. Nevertheless, the One asking the Question will not go away, and it indeed is the bidding of the Spirit of Truth Himself which ignites and fans into flame the holy desire to launch out into the Deep, the very Depths of Christ. WHAT they believe is no longer good enough, and they want to know WHY. Instead of discouraging these questions, we should welcome and invite them. We even ought to take the initiative and begin asking them of others.
What emerges after this period of soul searching, asking, seeking, and knocking is a core set of values and beliefs that are refined in the fiery furnace of real-life experience, not taught or learned out of a textbook or Sunday school class. It is the difference between singing, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" because we know the words to the song or because we have truly experienced the great faithfulness of Jesus Christ. We know WHAT we are singing, but more importantly, we know WHY we are singing. And WHY we desire fellowship with other believers. And WHY the Bible is the inspired Word of God. And so on.
Most importantly, Christians at this stage of growth are liberated from the limiting beliefs imposed upon them by other people, even other good people. The younger children are full of argument, opinion, defense, and either/or thinking. For them, the less they think they know the more distressed they become. Pose a question to them that is not in their catechism (literal or figurative) and they will be off to look up the answer so they can impress you with the solution the next time you meet. They haven't yet learned that there will always be someone in the world who is smarter and can come up with a more brilliant argument, right or wrong. It seems their whole goal is to confound the world with WHAT they believe.
Not so the Christians with some maturity. The Christians at this stage realize they don't know as much as they thought they did, but they know what matters. They are no longer straining out the gnat while swallowing the camel. They do not have as many answers, but neither do they have as many questions. Their spiritual life follows a steady, even course.
The Mature Adult Says, I Know WHOM I Believe There is a certain downside to the intermediate stage of growth, and that is a danger to lean upon our own understanding. Now that we know WHY we believe we are apt to begin teaching the younger ones. People will look to us for answers. We tend to tell them all we know, even more than we know. We are in danger of falling prey to an intellectual faith instead of a Spirit walk. Naturally speaking, teenagers and college students have a lot of knowledge. In fact, according to their own mind, they are smarter and more enlightened than anyone over the age of thirty. Once they reach thirty they will realize how little they really knew about life. Academic learning is no substitute for experience, and experience takes time. In spiritual things we will always be growing. Even the spiritually mature will continue to grow and learn.
We must see the process of maturity through to completion. To illustrate, let us imagine that we here on earth desire to reach the moon. That is a definitive goal which we can see. We can measure the distance and make plans to reach the moon. To us here on earth that is the ultimate in space exploration. Now let us imagine that one day we reach the moon. Just as we become acclimated to this enormous triumph, our eyes turn upward yet again and we see the vast expanse of space, the innumerable stars, planets, and galaxies, stretched out before us for more than 15,000,000,000 light years, and enlarging its borders faster than we could ever hope to keep up. We will never get to the end of it.
Suddenly, we realize all that we have accomplished in reaching the moon is but a drop in the bucket. In the grand scheme of the universe it is so small as to be infinitesimal. Of course you had no idea that the universe was this large while confined to the atmosphere of Earth, but now, having journeyed a bit beyond, you see just how large it is.
This, in a nutshell, is what it is to find ourselves lost in the depths of Christ. The edge of the universe is beyond our reach, but even it is finite in terms of size. This vast universe is summed up into Christ. The Creator is larger than the creation. So it follows that the more we know of Him, the less we realize we know. All the learning and spiritual experience of all the saints since the foundation of the world hardly makes a dent into the richness of Christ.
Job was left speechless after his encounter with God. He entered into a dialogue with the Creator thinking he knew what he was talking about. Thoroughly confounded and reduced to nothing, Job regretted having spoken of things that he knew nothing about. His idea of God was totally shattered. Before he had heard about God, but having seen God, he realized he didn't know anything. Ironically, his confessed ignorance was higher and more noble than the wisdom of his counselors who claimed to know God, but had never seen Him.
This is the difference between revelation and head-knowledge, between seeing for yourself and merely hearing about. The man who says, "I don't know" is finally beginning to know. Once he can see, he can say, "I know whom I have believed" and be accurate, even though he doesn't know anything in and of himself. It is a case of owning nothing, but possessing everything. The Christian is poor in spirit, yet blessed with every spiritual blessing.
Christianity is a spiritual paradox designed to confound man's wisdom and reduce him to Christ. If it were only a teaching or a philosophy, it would be easy to follow. But Christianity is not a teaching or a philosophy, it is a Man. Take away the Man and there is no Christianity. It is all about giving up your own life in order to receive the Life of Another.
The more I write, the more I realize I don't know anything. A million words cannot convey HIM. Everything of me is filthy rags; who am I? Who am I, really? What do I know? Nothing, not one thing. Oh, I've seen a little fragment, and I can hardly express THAT, much less anything beyond that. I am a man of unclean lips, in a generation of people with unclean lips, and like Job there is not much else to do but sit in the ashes and loathe myself. There have been times when I laid down my pen or shut off my computer and said I would never write again. All that I thought I knew I realized I did not know. What I did know I could not find words to describe.
We don't know this Jesus we think we know. He is Wholly Other, totally, supremely, magnificently GOD. Only God can remain silent while we speak blasphemies and heresies in His name. He allows mankind to distort and misrepresent and bring people to a place of despair, just so He can then step in and reveal Himself for Who He really is. And He is never, ever, ever, ever what you thought. Nothing is as you have been told. And then, once you meet Him, you cannot describe Him, except to say He is nothing like what you had been told. Beyond description.
When we realize we don't know, then Christ becomes our Wisdom so we CAN know. When we are children we are apt to say, I know WHAT I believe. As we grow out of infancy and begin to wrestle with the deeper questions and issues of the Christian faith we will learn to say, I know WHY I believe. The ultimate experience, however, is to be brought to a place where we can say with confidence, I know WHOM I believe.
Knowing WHAT is a beginning. Knowing WHY is progress. Knowing WHO is maturity. There is a time in our life when we penetrate the veil and from henceforth we KNOW Whom we have believed. It is no longer a question of belief, reason, argument, or opinion. We simply know.
Wait a minute, someone will say. First you say we cannot know Him, then you say that we can know Him. Which is it? All I can say is, it is both.
The child is preoccupied by WHAT, the young adult is consumed by WHY, and the mature believer is obsessed with WHO. A brother wanted to know what holiness was. So, he found over 200 Scriptures on the subject, arranged them in order, and committed them to memory. Yet, he still didn't know what holiness was. He felt empty inside. Finally he met an elderly sister who was holy. He finally saw Holiness, and it struck him to the ground. He then knew, because he saw. What he saw was not a concept or a teaching, but Holiness living through the elderly saint. It was not a virtue or a code of conduct, but a Person, Who was expressing His holiness through a yielded vessel.
Another brother was in a similar situation. He was emphatic about what he believed until someone with equal or greater argument confronted him. This occurred one day and someone pointed out several supposed "errors" in the Bible. This caused the brother to be very alarmed. He went to the same elderly lady and informed her of these alleged errors and wanted to know her opinion. She simply stated that the knowledge of God did not depend upon the answering of these questions. He thought, perhaps not to you, but to me it is important! So he spent the next year investigating what this other person had told him and found it to be untrue. But, had he simply known God He would not have found it necessary to study the whole thing and reason it out. The elderly sister was right, the knowledge of God did not depend upon the answering of those questions. If you know Who, knowing what and why become less significant.
No one illustrates this better than Paul the apostle. As the final hours were upon him, what was his testimony? He did not say, "I know what I believe." A man of extraordinary intellect and education, he had forgotten more about Judaism and Christianity than most people will ever know.
He did not say, "I know why I believe". Of course he knew why he believed. He didn't have to say it. The years of persecution and prison had made him better, not bitter. For the first time in his life he knew what real joy was. But even knowing what and why would not be enough to carry him through this much suffering.
What was his secret? "I know WHOM I have believed, and I am confident that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him."
You can start out with WHAT, sort through it with WHY, but it ultimately leads to WHO. Who else? Christ as all in all. Everything leads to Him. All the questions, all the answers. Everything is reduced to Him, for He is the sum of all spiritual things. When we are reduced to Him, then we will be satisfied. Let us lose our life that we may gain our Life and know Whom we have believed. Amen.
http://www.theschoolofchrist.org/
The Scriptures exhort us to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." Our spiritual growth may be generally discussed as occurring in three seasons of development. Please do not use this teaching to examine where others are, but use it to examine yourself and see if you are indeed growing and maturing in the knowledge of Christ.
I will use the terms "immature" and "childish", but not with the intention of disdaining the young. I am simply contrasting maturity with immaturity, adulthood with childhood. My children are immature, but I cannot expect them to be anything other than immature so long as they are children. I am lovingly committed to their long-term growth. In the same way, let us not despise the spiritually immature or the weak in faith. Instead, the Word tells us to receive them and watch over them. For those of you who are further along, never forget how many years of God's dealings it took to bring you to the level of experience you take for granted today.
With those words of introduction, let us discuss the beginning season of the Christian life. The Child Says, "I Know WHAT I Believe" In the beginning of the Christian walk we are primarily concerned with WHAT we believe. We depend heavily upon other Christians, the pastor, or the church to tell us what we should believe. Our belief systems are established according to what we hear, see, or are taught during these formative years of spiritual development. Not being experienced in the ways of the Lord we naturally give attention to those Christians who have known the Lord longer that we may learn the essential doctrines of our faith. Whoever or whatever influences us as a spiritual child will usually shape and mold us into what we will become twenty, thirty, or fifty years hence.
Participation in Sunday School classes, Bible studies, church attendance, retreats, conferences and seminars is seen as a desirable and necessary step towards becoming a strong Christian. Memorizing a catechism, statement of fundamental truths, or doctrinal position is often a prerequisite to church membership. As the particular belief system is identified and reinforced, the young Christian may come to identify with social labels such as Fundamentalist, Evangelical, Charismatic, or Conservative. Labels are important to the spiritually immature because it allows them to sum up an entire ideology in one succinct title which provides instant recognition and camaraderie with those of the same genre. Baptists believe certain things, as do the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Lutherans, the Catholics, the Pentecostals, and even the so-called Non-Denominationals or Independents. Identifying yourself as one or the other immediately brings you into the good company, fellowship, and relationship with others whose particular belief systems most resemble your own.
New Christians (or old Christians who remain childish) are acutely interested in WHAT they believe, seeking to have all the I's and T's of their personal theology dotted and crossed. In the process they usually major in the minors and strain out a gnat to swallow a camel. Doctrinal discussion and religious wranglings are the seedbed of most vain speaking, arguments, hurt feelings, biting and devouring.
Once they are settled into WHAT they believe it is nearly impossible to convince them otherwise, and any perceived threat to their belief system is met with hostility, anger, confusion, even depression. I heard of a Bible study that was devoted to a particular issue. An outsider posed the question: WHY do you believe this? The indignant answer was, "Because the Bible says so" and a chapter and verse reference was given. But how do you know the Bible is true? Because the Bible is the Word of God. How do you know the Bible is the Word of God? Because the Bible says so. And so on.
Christians at this stage of spiritual growth cannot reply, except to say that you just have to believe it by faith (even though God has never required us to believe something without offering substantial, albeit invisible, proof - but that is a topic for another discussion). The leader of this Bible study could answer to WHAT she believed, but she could not reply to WHY she believed it because her particular belief system would not allow for a frank and open discussion on the inspiration of the very Scriptures she was citing. God said it (or the pastor said God said it) , I believe it, and that settles it. End of conversation.
Children are often told to do thus-and-so, and when they invariably ask why, the answer is usually, "Because I said so." Such an answer is sufficient for them at THAT stage, but when the child becomes a teenager a simple "Because I said so" is insulting. As an adult it is offensive. Why is this? Because it does not allow for input, feedback, or questions. What is lost? The experience of LEARNING and becoming mature.
Is the Bible the inspired Word of God? Well of course it is. But not because it says it is, and not because the pastor says so or the church says so, or I say so. Do you know WHY it is the inspired Word of God? Have you ever wondered why? "Because the Bible says so" is sufficient enough for a new Christian, but you must move beyond the elementary if you ever hope to experience or lead others into the full knowledge of Christ.
The Young Adult Says, "I Know WHY I Believe" The one who knows WHAT they believe is always threatened by the one who knows WHY. Unfortunately some never grow to the point that they ever ask why. They see no need to ask why, and therein lies the reason for their perpetual childhood, their incessant carnal fighting and vain blabbering. To ask why is to commit the unpardonable sin! To question the church, its leaders, or its teachings is to jeopardize your eternal soul! People with faith are not supposed to ask why. People properly submitted to authority are not supposed to ask why. If you don't know why, they say, focus on what, and don't worry about why.
Allow me to say it as plainly as I can: to discourage the asking of WHY is to stunt the spiritual growth of yourself and others. An immature Christian is one who does not permit himself or others to question anything incorporated into their belief system.
Yes, it is true that many who grow up in the church and begin asking WHY often appear to backslide or end up leaving the church altogether. This healthy questioning, searching, and seeking for truth Jesus called "hungering and thirsting after righteousness." The promise is, "They shall be filled." They are The Blessed, not The Backslidden. Jesus is simply leading them elsewhere because He cannot fill them where they are. The quest for Truth, and the subsequent filling, almost never takes place WHERE YOU ARE, but WHERE GOD WANTS TO BRING YOU. If you are hungry and thirsty for what is right, for what is true, then you will be filled. It did not say where or how, only THAT. I cannot presume to say where or how He may lead you, only that He will.
You see, knowing WHAT you believe brings a certain aura of satisfaction and security which is akin to nursing at your mothers breast. It is an important first step in the Christian life, but that is all a first step, a means to an end, not THE end. We are not suggesting that you do not have to know WHAT you believe. We are saying that real progress begins when you begin to get an inkling as to WHY you believe it. This is the middle stage of spiritual growth. Like knowing what, knowing why is an important step, but it is not the end either. It is merely a rite of passage between childishness and maturity. It is the literal enlargement of one's capacity for Truth, and of course, for Christ Who is Truth. It is the spiritual equivalent of puberty, a time of great change, rapid growth, and of great turmoil, emotionally and spiritually.
An exciting thing begins to happen in the spiritual life of the Christian who desires to grow and mature. It is hoped that after some progress in spiritual things, once the new Christian has experienced a few defeats or disappointments, that he or she will ask, "Is there more to the Christian life than what I am experiencing?" Oh, blessed question! How God has worked long and hard to bring the Christian to this point! And the Answer which God so desires to give us is, "Yes! There is more to this Life! You have but scratched the surface!" The Question often comes to us in the middle of a church service, when everyone else seems to be worshiping the Lord and having a good time. We try to join in but the Question continues to bother us week after week until we resolve to do something about it.
But what usually happens? The church will often reassure the babes that all is well as long as they ignore how they feel, keep attending church, reading their Bibles, saying their prayers, etc. Nevertheless, the One asking the Question will not go away, and it indeed is the bidding of the Spirit of Truth Himself which ignites and fans into flame the holy desire to launch out into the Deep, the very Depths of Christ. WHAT they believe is no longer good enough, and they want to know WHY. Instead of discouraging these questions, we should welcome and invite them. We even ought to take the initiative and begin asking them of others.
What emerges after this period of soul searching, asking, seeking, and knocking is a core set of values and beliefs that are refined in the fiery furnace of real-life experience, not taught or learned out of a textbook or Sunday school class. It is the difference between singing, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" because we know the words to the song or because we have truly experienced the great faithfulness of Jesus Christ. We know WHAT we are singing, but more importantly, we know WHY we are singing. And WHY we desire fellowship with other believers. And WHY the Bible is the inspired Word of God. And so on.
Most importantly, Christians at this stage of growth are liberated from the limiting beliefs imposed upon them by other people, even other good people. The younger children are full of argument, opinion, defense, and either/or thinking. For them, the less they think they know the more distressed they become. Pose a question to them that is not in their catechism (literal or figurative) and they will be off to look up the answer so they can impress you with the solution the next time you meet. They haven't yet learned that there will always be someone in the world who is smarter and can come up with a more brilliant argument, right or wrong. It seems their whole goal is to confound the world with WHAT they believe.
Not so the Christians with some maturity. The Christians at this stage realize they don't know as much as they thought they did, but they know what matters. They are no longer straining out the gnat while swallowing the camel. They do not have as many answers, but neither do they have as many questions. Their spiritual life follows a steady, even course.
The Mature Adult Says, I Know WHOM I Believe There is a certain downside to the intermediate stage of growth, and that is a danger to lean upon our own understanding. Now that we know WHY we believe we are apt to begin teaching the younger ones. People will look to us for answers. We tend to tell them all we know, even more than we know. We are in danger of falling prey to an intellectual faith instead of a Spirit walk. Naturally speaking, teenagers and college students have a lot of knowledge. In fact, according to their own mind, they are smarter and more enlightened than anyone over the age of thirty. Once they reach thirty they will realize how little they really knew about life. Academic learning is no substitute for experience, and experience takes time. In spiritual things we will always be growing. Even the spiritually mature will continue to grow and learn.
We must see the process of maturity through to completion. To illustrate, let us imagine that we here on earth desire to reach the moon. That is a definitive goal which we can see. We can measure the distance and make plans to reach the moon. To us here on earth that is the ultimate in space exploration. Now let us imagine that one day we reach the moon. Just as we become acclimated to this enormous triumph, our eyes turn upward yet again and we see the vast expanse of space, the innumerable stars, planets, and galaxies, stretched out before us for more than 15,000,000,000 light years, and enlarging its borders faster than we could ever hope to keep up. We will never get to the end of it.
Suddenly, we realize all that we have accomplished in reaching the moon is but a drop in the bucket. In the grand scheme of the universe it is so small as to be infinitesimal. Of course you had no idea that the universe was this large while confined to the atmosphere of Earth, but now, having journeyed a bit beyond, you see just how large it is.
This, in a nutshell, is what it is to find ourselves lost in the depths of Christ. The edge of the universe is beyond our reach, but even it is finite in terms of size. This vast universe is summed up into Christ. The Creator is larger than the creation. So it follows that the more we know of Him, the less we realize we know. All the learning and spiritual experience of all the saints since the foundation of the world hardly makes a dent into the richness of Christ.
Job was left speechless after his encounter with God. He entered into a dialogue with the Creator thinking he knew what he was talking about. Thoroughly confounded and reduced to nothing, Job regretted having spoken of things that he knew nothing about. His idea of God was totally shattered. Before he had heard about God, but having seen God, he realized he didn't know anything. Ironically, his confessed ignorance was higher and more noble than the wisdom of his counselors who claimed to know God, but had never seen Him.
This is the difference between revelation and head-knowledge, between seeing for yourself and merely hearing about. The man who says, "I don't know" is finally beginning to know. Once he can see, he can say, "I know whom I have believed" and be accurate, even though he doesn't know anything in and of himself. It is a case of owning nothing, but possessing everything. The Christian is poor in spirit, yet blessed with every spiritual blessing.
Christianity is a spiritual paradox designed to confound man's wisdom and reduce him to Christ. If it were only a teaching or a philosophy, it would be easy to follow. But Christianity is not a teaching or a philosophy, it is a Man. Take away the Man and there is no Christianity. It is all about giving up your own life in order to receive the Life of Another.
The more I write, the more I realize I don't know anything. A million words cannot convey HIM. Everything of me is filthy rags; who am I? Who am I, really? What do I know? Nothing, not one thing. Oh, I've seen a little fragment, and I can hardly express THAT, much less anything beyond that. I am a man of unclean lips, in a generation of people with unclean lips, and like Job there is not much else to do but sit in the ashes and loathe myself. There have been times when I laid down my pen or shut off my computer and said I would never write again. All that I thought I knew I realized I did not know. What I did know I could not find words to describe.
We don't know this Jesus we think we know. He is Wholly Other, totally, supremely, magnificently GOD. Only God can remain silent while we speak blasphemies and heresies in His name. He allows mankind to distort and misrepresent and bring people to a place of despair, just so He can then step in and reveal Himself for Who He really is. And He is never, ever, ever, ever what you thought. Nothing is as you have been told. And then, once you meet Him, you cannot describe Him, except to say He is nothing like what you had been told. Beyond description.
When we realize we don't know, then Christ becomes our Wisdom so we CAN know. When we are children we are apt to say, I know WHAT I believe. As we grow out of infancy and begin to wrestle with the deeper questions and issues of the Christian faith we will learn to say, I know WHY I believe. The ultimate experience, however, is to be brought to a place where we can say with confidence, I know WHOM I believe.
Knowing WHAT is a beginning. Knowing WHY is progress. Knowing WHO is maturity. There is a time in our life when we penetrate the veil and from henceforth we KNOW Whom we have believed. It is no longer a question of belief, reason, argument, or opinion. We simply know.
Wait a minute, someone will say. First you say we cannot know Him, then you say that we can know Him. Which is it? All I can say is, it is both.
The child is preoccupied by WHAT, the young adult is consumed by WHY, and the mature believer is obsessed with WHO. A brother wanted to know what holiness was. So, he found over 200 Scriptures on the subject, arranged them in order, and committed them to memory. Yet, he still didn't know what holiness was. He felt empty inside. Finally he met an elderly sister who was holy. He finally saw Holiness, and it struck him to the ground. He then knew, because he saw. What he saw was not a concept or a teaching, but Holiness living through the elderly saint. It was not a virtue or a code of conduct, but a Person, Who was expressing His holiness through a yielded vessel.
Another brother was in a similar situation. He was emphatic about what he believed until someone with equal or greater argument confronted him. This occurred one day and someone pointed out several supposed "errors" in the Bible. This caused the brother to be very alarmed. He went to the same elderly lady and informed her of these alleged errors and wanted to know her opinion. She simply stated that the knowledge of God did not depend upon the answering of these questions. He thought, perhaps not to you, but to me it is important! So he spent the next year investigating what this other person had told him and found it to be untrue. But, had he simply known God He would not have found it necessary to study the whole thing and reason it out. The elderly sister was right, the knowledge of God did not depend upon the answering of those questions. If you know Who, knowing what and why become less significant.
No one illustrates this better than Paul the apostle. As the final hours were upon him, what was his testimony? He did not say, "I know what I believe." A man of extraordinary intellect and education, he had forgotten more about Judaism and Christianity than most people will ever know.
He did not say, "I know why I believe". Of course he knew why he believed. He didn't have to say it. The years of persecution and prison had made him better, not bitter. For the first time in his life he knew what real joy was. But even knowing what and why would not be enough to carry him through this much suffering.
What was his secret? "I know WHOM I have believed, and I am confident that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him."
You can start out with WHAT, sort through it with WHY, but it ultimately leads to WHO. Who else? Christ as all in all. Everything leads to Him. All the questions, all the answers. Everything is reduced to Him, for He is the sum of all spiritual things. When we are reduced to Him, then we will be satisfied. Let us lose our life that we may gain our Life and know Whom we have believed. Amen.
http://www.theschoolofchrist.org/
Sunday, April 02, 2006
O. Hallesby
I just finished reading Prayer by O. Hallesby. I devoured it, actually. So I should probably go back and read it again. I'd love to post quotes, and bits of the book on here..but I'm afraid it would take pages and pages. I might sit down and sift through it to choose a few to post later on.
I started reading his book "Why I Am A Christian" before I started the one on prayer, but I stopped halfway through it to start this other one, so I began to read it again this morning. I'm a bit of a book hopper anyhow :o)
Here's a quote from the book..
Have you life in God?
You may answer perhaps: "I was baptized as a child. I was instructed in the Christian faith. I pray and I read the word of God. I go to church and do church work as well as I can in my humble way."
All of which is good and well. But that is not what I am asking you. I am asking you if you have life in God, that is, if it is love which brings you to God, if you are living free, joyous, and blessed life of a child of God? Or is it the onerous, unwilling life of the regenerate heart that you are living with God?
Examine yourself. Be earnest. Your eternal destiny hinges upon the answer you give to this question.
Remember the plain words of Jesus: "Except one be born anew, he can not see the kingdom of God." "That which is born of the flesh is flesh."
Have you experienced what the apostle speaks of when he says: "Wherefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new?"
Does your moral and religious life consist of what Scripture calls "dead works," that is, works which are good and proper, outwardly considered, but which do not spring naturally and vitally from a saved and grateful heart?
At this point many deceive themselves.
Today this form of self-deception lies closer at hand than has been the case for the last two generations. True, there has been awakened again a wide-spread interest in things religious after the religiously lean years of materialism. But there are too many who are satisfied with religiousity, being unwilling to press on through the narrow gate to real Christianity. They are content with seeking after God instead of persevering until they find and experience Him.
The temptation to do this is very great for many, because up to this time they have lived very far away even from religiousity. They think that because there has been somewhat of a change in their inner as well as in their outward life, therefore they have become Christians. The religious longings which they now experience and the religious activity to which they now feel impelled, such as prayer, reading, meditation, and Christian work, seem to them to constitute such a great change of heat that they think they have experienced Christian conversion.
For many it is very easy to make this mistake, because they are ignorant of what true Christianity is. This ignorance is quite general and very profound, especially among the higher classes of society. In very recent times this ignorance seems to have spread rapidly also among large numbers of the laboring classes.
I ask, therefore, again: Have you experienced the miracle of the new life? Have you been lifted by God Himself into a new relationship with Him? Or does your religion consist in worshipping and serving God with your old, obdurate and unwilling heart? Is your ethical life a requirement forced upon you by your conscience, a demand wihich you would prefer to ignore and to which you submit unwillingly at best; or has it by the divine miracle of regeneration become your life and your delight. ~O. Hallesby "Why I Am A Christian"
I started reading his book "Why I Am A Christian" before I started the one on prayer, but I stopped halfway through it to start this other one, so I began to read it again this morning. I'm a bit of a book hopper anyhow :o)
Here's a quote from the book..
Have you life in God?
You may answer perhaps: "I was baptized as a child. I was instructed in the Christian faith. I pray and I read the word of God. I go to church and do church work as well as I can in my humble way."
All of which is good and well. But that is not what I am asking you. I am asking you if you have life in God, that is, if it is love which brings you to God, if you are living free, joyous, and blessed life of a child of God? Or is it the onerous, unwilling life of the regenerate heart that you are living with God?
Examine yourself. Be earnest. Your eternal destiny hinges upon the answer you give to this question.
Remember the plain words of Jesus: "Except one be born anew, he can not see the kingdom of God." "That which is born of the flesh is flesh."
Have you experienced what the apostle speaks of when he says: "Wherefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new?"
Does your moral and religious life consist of what Scripture calls "dead works," that is, works which are good and proper, outwardly considered, but which do not spring naturally and vitally from a saved and grateful heart?
At this point many deceive themselves.
Today this form of self-deception lies closer at hand than has been the case for the last two generations. True, there has been awakened again a wide-spread interest in things religious after the religiously lean years of materialism. But there are too many who are satisfied with religiousity, being unwilling to press on through the narrow gate to real Christianity. They are content with seeking after God instead of persevering until they find and experience Him.
The temptation to do this is very great for many, because up to this time they have lived very far away even from religiousity. They think that because there has been somewhat of a change in their inner as well as in their outward life, therefore they have become Christians. The religious longings which they now experience and the religious activity to which they now feel impelled, such as prayer, reading, meditation, and Christian work, seem to them to constitute such a great change of heat that they think they have experienced Christian conversion.
For many it is very easy to make this mistake, because they are ignorant of what true Christianity is. This ignorance is quite general and very profound, especially among the higher classes of society. In very recent times this ignorance seems to have spread rapidly also among large numbers of the laboring classes.
I ask, therefore, again: Have you experienced the miracle of the new life? Have you been lifted by God Himself into a new relationship with Him? Or does your religion consist in worshipping and serving God with your old, obdurate and unwilling heart? Is your ethical life a requirement forced upon you by your conscience, a demand wihich you would prefer to ignore and to which you submit unwillingly at best; or has it by the divine miracle of regeneration become your life and your delight. ~O. Hallesby "Why I Am A Christian"
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Bugs..at the dinner table.
There's just never a dull moment in this house.
Isaac and Noah were catching bugs this afternoon and putting them in a jar. Well, after they came in the house, Isaac started to build something out of a cardboard box. He kept coming to me and asking if he could have another freezer baggy. I said "OK" each time...without inquiring why. (shame on me!)
So..I have dinner ready. As we were sitting down, Isaac was still working on his project, taping, etc. When I realized WHAT he was doing. He made a huge "house" for his bugs. Taping cut up freezer bags resembling a "green house" for bugs. It wasn't taped very well. And his bugs were crawling all over inside..and escaping out the areas where he lacked tape. Well..I told him to clean it up, because we're eating now. (There were mostly potato bugs, etc. Seemingly harmless..not enough to make me squeemish)
So..I begin our prayers of thanks for our food...when suddenly..Ethan hollars out..LOOK, LOOK! I opened my eyes to see a huge centipede type creature crawling from behind my bowl of food! (and then mommy screamed) "Isaac...get your bug away from my food NOW!"
Needless to say..the bug house is going OUTSIDE..and so are the bugs. No more bugs at the dinner table.
:o)
Isaac and Noah were catching bugs this afternoon and putting them in a jar. Well, after they came in the house, Isaac started to build something out of a cardboard box. He kept coming to me and asking if he could have another freezer baggy. I said "OK" each time...without inquiring why. (shame on me!)
So..I have dinner ready. As we were sitting down, Isaac was still working on his project, taping, etc. When I realized WHAT he was doing. He made a huge "house" for his bugs. Taping cut up freezer bags resembling a "green house" for bugs. It wasn't taped very well. And his bugs were crawling all over inside..and escaping out the areas where he lacked tape. Well..I told him to clean it up, because we're eating now. (There were mostly potato bugs, etc. Seemingly harmless..not enough to make me squeemish)
So..I begin our prayers of thanks for our food...when suddenly..Ethan hollars out..LOOK, LOOK! I opened my eyes to see a huge centipede type creature crawling from behind my bowl of food! (and then mommy screamed) "Isaac...get your bug away from my food NOW!"
Needless to say..the bug house is going OUTSIDE..and so are the bugs. No more bugs at the dinner table.
:o)
Monday, March 27, 2006
Rick Warren
Rick Warren waters down the Gospel.
Prof. Johan Malan University of the North South Africa
http://www.bibleguidance.co.za/Engarticles/Rick.htm
The following websites can be visited for further information on Rick Warren: www.crossroad.to, www.discernment-ministries.com, www.deceptioninthechurch.com .
Prof. Johan Malan University of the North South Africa
http://www.bibleguidance.co.za/Engarticles/Rick.htm
The following websites can be visited for further information on Rick Warren: www.crossroad.to, www.discernment-ministries.com, www.deceptioninthechurch.com .
Friday, March 24, 2006
Oswald Chambers.....
The daily thoughts (My Utmost for His Highest) from Oswald always seem to coincide with what is going on in life at the time. It never ceases to amaze me!!! Of course, I didn't read these until after the fact..just a few minutes ago. I read Mar.24th first, and went back a day to read the 23th. :o)
March 23rd.
AM I CARNALLY MINDED?
"Whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal?" 1 Corinthians 3:3
No natural man knows anything about carnality. The flesh lusting against the Spirit that came in at regeneration, and the Spirit lusting against the flesh, produces carnality. "Walk in the Spirit," says Paul, "and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh"; and carnality will disappear.
Are you contentious, easily troubled about trifles? "Oh, but no one who is a Christian ever is!" Paul says they are, he connects these things with carnality. Is there a truth in the Bible that instantly awakens petulance in you? That is a proof that you are yet carnal. If sanctification is being worked out, there is no trace of that spirit left.
If the Spirit of God detects anything in you that is wrong, He does not ask you to put it right; He asks you to accept the light, and He will put it right. A child of the light confesses instantly and stands bared before God; a child of the darkness says - "Oh, I can explain that away." When once the light breaks and the conviction of wrong comes, be a child of the light, and confess, and God will deal with what is wrong; if you vindicate yourself, you prove yourself to be a child of the darkness.
What is the proof that carnality has gone? Never deceive yourself; when carnality is gone it is the most real thing imaginable. God will see that you have any number of opportunities to prove to yourself the marvel of His grace. The practical test is the only proof. "Why," you say, "if this had happened before, there would have been the spirit of resentment!" You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.
Now for MARCH 24!
March 24th.
DECREASING INTO HIS PURPOSE
"He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30
If you become a necessity to a soul, you are out of God's order. As a worker, your great responsibility is to be a friend of the Bridegroom. When once you see a soul in sight of the claims of Jesus Christ, you know that your influence has been in the right direction, and instead of putting out a hand to prevent the throes, pray that they grow ten times stronger until there is no power on earth or in hell that can hold that soul away from Jesus Christ. Over and over again, we become amateur providences, we come in and prevent God; and say - "This and that must not be." Instead of proving friends of the Bridegroom, we put our sympathy in the way, and the soul will one day say - "That one was a thief, he stole my affections from Jesus, and I lost my vision of Him."
Beware of rejoicing with a soul in the wrong thing, but see that you do rejoice in the right thing. "The friend of the Bridegroom . . . rejoiceth greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease." This is spoken with joy and not with sadness - at last they are to see the Bridegroom! And John says this is his joy. It is the absolute effacement of the worker, he is never thought of again.
Watch for all you are worth until you hear the Bridegroom's voice in the life of another. Never mind what havoc it brings, what upsets, what crumblings of health, rejoice with divine hilarity when once His voice is heard. You may often see Jesus Christ wreck a life before He saves it. (Cf. Matt. 10:34.)
Amen and AMEN!!!
March 23rd.
AM I CARNALLY MINDED?
"Whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal?" 1 Corinthians 3:3
No natural man knows anything about carnality. The flesh lusting against the Spirit that came in at regeneration, and the Spirit lusting against the flesh, produces carnality. "Walk in the Spirit," says Paul, "and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh"; and carnality will disappear.
Are you contentious, easily troubled about trifles? "Oh, but no one who is a Christian ever is!" Paul says they are, he connects these things with carnality. Is there a truth in the Bible that instantly awakens petulance in you? That is a proof that you are yet carnal. If sanctification is being worked out, there is no trace of that spirit left.
If the Spirit of God detects anything in you that is wrong, He does not ask you to put it right; He asks you to accept the light, and He will put it right. A child of the light confesses instantly and stands bared before God; a child of the darkness says - "Oh, I can explain that away." When once the light breaks and the conviction of wrong comes, be a child of the light, and confess, and God will deal with what is wrong; if you vindicate yourself, you prove yourself to be a child of the darkness.
What is the proof that carnality has gone? Never deceive yourself; when carnality is gone it is the most real thing imaginable. God will see that you have any number of opportunities to prove to yourself the marvel of His grace. The practical test is the only proof. "Why," you say, "if this had happened before, there would have been the spirit of resentment!" You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.
Now for MARCH 24!
March 24th.
DECREASING INTO HIS PURPOSE
"He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30
If you become a necessity to a soul, you are out of God's order. As a worker, your great responsibility is to be a friend of the Bridegroom. When once you see a soul in sight of the claims of Jesus Christ, you know that your influence has been in the right direction, and instead of putting out a hand to prevent the throes, pray that they grow ten times stronger until there is no power on earth or in hell that can hold that soul away from Jesus Christ. Over and over again, we become amateur providences, we come in and prevent God; and say - "This and that must not be." Instead of proving friends of the Bridegroom, we put our sympathy in the way, and the soul will one day say - "That one was a thief, he stole my affections from Jesus, and I lost my vision of Him."
Beware of rejoicing with a soul in the wrong thing, but see that you do rejoice in the right thing. "The friend of the Bridegroom . . . rejoiceth greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease." This is spoken with joy and not with sadness - at last they are to see the Bridegroom! And John says this is his joy. It is the absolute effacement of the worker, he is never thought of again.
Watch for all you are worth until you hear the Bridegroom's voice in the life of another. Never mind what havoc it brings, what upsets, what crumblings of health, rejoice with divine hilarity when once His voice is heard. You may often see Jesus Christ wreck a life before He saves it. (Cf. Matt. 10:34.)
Amen and AMEN!!!
Comfort in His Word..
In writing a letter to my Aunt, who's mother has just passed on, I was searching through the scriptures for some words of comfort for her. But instead..I found I could not stop reading. The Word of God brought such comfort to me, and I couldn't get enough of it. Needless to say, the letter is still unwritten.
My heart is hurting a bit today, for other reasons, but He gives me comfort. He is my rock...my salvation. The words from Chip Brogden's Fear No Man, (see my post below)..kept me in check today.
"The Lord is my strength and song, And he has become my salvation." Psalm 118:14
"My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.
Trust in Him at all times, you
people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
Psalm 62:5-8
Our hope..as we await His return..
He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Revelations 22:20-21
My heart is hurting a bit today, for other reasons, but He gives me comfort. He is my rock...my salvation. The words from Chip Brogden's Fear No Man, (see my post below)..kept me in check today.
"The Lord is my strength and song, And he has become my salvation." Psalm 118:14
"My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.
Trust in Him at all times, you
people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
Psalm 62:5-8
Our hope..as we await His return..
He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Revelations 22:20-21
The Pre-Tribulation Rapture-Prof. Johan Malan
here's the link i'm refering to...
http://www.bibleguidance.co.za/Engarticles/Rapconference/3%20Rapturedoctrine.htm
"Evangelical Christians will be declared unchristian, unloving and judgmental, and will be despised. They will be regarded as prophets of doom because they proclaim the imminent judgements of God which will fall upon the world during the tribulation. They will also be regarded as disloyal to the Christian cause because of their unwillingness to join the ecumenical movement and accept the unitary reforms of the New Age Movement.
As the time for the revelation of the Antichrist approaches, true Christians will be subjected to immense pressure, intimidation and threats. However, they should take courage in the light of the promise that the truly born-again children of God will escape the coming tribulation period: “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36). This promise ties up with the following one: “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Rev. 3:10). Those who are not in Christ but instead advocate the false peace of the antichristian new world order will not escape the great tribulation (1 Thess. 5:3)."
The fact that our works will be judged after the rapture, and that only those with eternal value will be rewarded, is of great significance in helping us to devote ourselves to objectives that are higher than the material things of this perishable world. After conversion our lives should yield the fruit of the Spirit and we should not waste time and resources on earthly things, pleasure or valueless works. Will you be found a worthy servant or will you stand empty-handed before the judgement seat of Christ on that day, saved as by fire? (1 Cor. 3:14-16). If you lose sight of the possibility of the Lord’s imminent return you may lapse into complacency, spiritual inactivity, and even into sin (2 Pet. 3:10,17-18).
The great significance of the rapture
In the light of all the biblical facts about the rapture it is clear that this is an extremely important teaching to all believers. There are at least 12 different aspects of the rapture that need to be properly understood and taken account of:
It is a direct intervention by God. The supernatural nature of the rapture, in which millions of Christians will be caught up in the air, will be so clearly an intervention by God that no scientific explanation will ever account for this astounding phenomenon. “The Lord Himself” will remove the saints from planet earth (1 Thess. 4:16).
It is a meeting with the Lord Jesus. When the Lord Jesus descends from heaven with the sounding of the trumpet of God, those who died in Christ will be raised from the dead, while the living believers will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. Together they will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:16-17). The unsaved people will not see Him on this occasion.
(a surge of excitement and tears welled up in my eyes when I read this one! I can't wait!)~a
It is associated with the first resurrection. The rapture is directly related to the first resurrection when all believers will receive glorified resurrection bodies. Those who have died in Christ will be raised first – then the living believers will be miraculously changed while they pass from mortality to immortality without dying (1 Cor. 15:52).
It separates true and nominal believers. Apart from the division that the rapture will effect between the saved and unsaved people in the world, it will also separate born-again believers from the nominal Christians within the professing church (Matt. 25:1-13), many of whom have only a form of godliness (2 Tim. 3:5).
It marks the end of the church age. It is important to consider the rapture in its dispensational context – i.e. at the end of the church age and just before the beginning of the tribulation period, which will be a distinct dispensation with its own characteristics (2 Thess. 2).
It makes way for the revelation of the Antichrist. The rapture is directly related to the revelation of the Antichrist. The true church of Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, is withholding the Antichrist, who can only be revealed after the church has been taken out of the way (2 Thess. 2:6-10).
It is an escape from divine wrath. The rapture also constitutes a dramatic rescue operation in which true believers will be removed from the scene of impending divine judgements upon earth, since they are not the objects of God’s wrath (1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9; Luke 21:36).
It is a motivation for steadfastness. There will be a great end-time falling away from the truth of God’s Word. Christians having the hope of Christ’s coming, purify themselves as He is pure (1 John 3:3), and resist any tendency to grow cold in their love for Him (Matt. 24:12).
It is a summons to the judgement seat of Christ. The certainty of the rapture confronts us with the solemn prospect of appearing before Christ at His judgement seat to give account of our lives (Rom. 14:10-12; 2 Cor. 5:10).
It is a journey to the marriage of the Lamb. After appearing before the judgement seat, believers forming the bride will be united to the heavenly Bridegroom never to be separated from Him again (Rev. 19:7-8; Ps. 45:9).
It is a journey to our eternal home. The Lord Jesus promised that He would return to take the saints away to their heavenly abode in His Father’s house with the many mansions (John 14:2-3). “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9). What a wonderful future to look forward to!
It will promote us to be co-rulers with Christ. After the rapture and the tribulation period, the glorified saints will return with Christ and reign with Him as kings on earth (Luke 19:17-19; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 2:26-27; 5:10).
P.S. For supporting literature, please consult the website www.bibleguidance.co.za The author may be contacted at johan@bibleguidance.co.za
http://www.bibleguidance.co.za/Engarticles/Rapconference/3%20Rapturedoctrine.htm
"Evangelical Christians will be declared unchristian, unloving and judgmental, and will be despised. They will be regarded as prophets of doom because they proclaim the imminent judgements of God which will fall upon the world during the tribulation. They will also be regarded as disloyal to the Christian cause because of their unwillingness to join the ecumenical movement and accept the unitary reforms of the New Age Movement.
As the time for the revelation of the Antichrist approaches, true Christians will be subjected to immense pressure, intimidation and threats. However, they should take courage in the light of the promise that the truly born-again children of God will escape the coming tribulation period: “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36). This promise ties up with the following one: “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Rev. 3:10). Those who are not in Christ but instead advocate the false peace of the antichristian new world order will not escape the great tribulation (1 Thess. 5:3)."
"A motivation for steadfastness"
"The coming of the heavenly Bridegroom will occur during a time of religious compromise and worldliness. There will be a great falling away from the truth of God’s Word. A relatively small group of evangelical Christians will shine like lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation (Phil. 2:15). As in the times of Noah and Lot, the earth will be filled with violence, materialism, and sexual perversion. Unfortunately, the spirit of unrighteousness and immorality will also take its toll among Christians. They will relax their vigilance and make downward adjustments to their spiritual standards: “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matt. 24:12). Some Christians will become backslidden or discouraged in the work of the Lord. Inactive Christians often compromise their dedication to the Lord and their responsibility to serve Him faithfully. Their spiritual decline may manifest itself in various ways. The most common are, either to abandon the need for sanctification, becoming worldly-minded, enjoying worldly parties and eating and drinking to excess; or to become critical and dictatorial in their relations with other Christians. The Lord Jesus warned against such sinful behaviour and challenged it by using the prospect of His sudden, unexpected return as a positive motivation to remain steadfast to the end (Matt. 24:45-50). "
The fact that our works will be judged after the rapture, and that only those with eternal value will be rewarded, is of great significance in helping us to devote ourselves to objectives that are higher than the material things of this perishable world. After conversion our lives should yield the fruit of the Spirit and we should not waste time and resources on earthly things, pleasure or valueless works. Will you be found a worthy servant or will you stand empty-handed before the judgement seat of Christ on that day, saved as by fire? (1 Cor. 3:14-16). If you lose sight of the possibility of the Lord’s imminent return you may lapse into complacency, spiritual inactivity, and even into sin (2 Pet. 3:10,17-18).
The great significance of the rapture
In the light of all the biblical facts about the rapture it is clear that this is an extremely important teaching to all believers. There are at least 12 different aspects of the rapture that need to be properly understood and taken account of:
It is a direct intervention by God. The supernatural nature of the rapture, in which millions of Christians will be caught up in the air, will be so clearly an intervention by God that no scientific explanation will ever account for this astounding phenomenon. “The Lord Himself” will remove the saints from planet earth (1 Thess. 4:16).
It is a meeting with the Lord Jesus. When the Lord Jesus descends from heaven with the sounding of the trumpet of God, those who died in Christ will be raised from the dead, while the living believers will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. Together they will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:16-17). The unsaved people will not see Him on this occasion.
(a surge of excitement and tears welled up in my eyes when I read this one! I can't wait!)~a
It is associated with the first resurrection. The rapture is directly related to the first resurrection when all believers will receive glorified resurrection bodies. Those who have died in Christ will be raised first – then the living believers will be miraculously changed while they pass from mortality to immortality without dying (1 Cor. 15:52).
It separates true and nominal believers. Apart from the division that the rapture will effect between the saved and unsaved people in the world, it will also separate born-again believers from the nominal Christians within the professing church (Matt. 25:1-13), many of whom have only a form of godliness (2 Tim. 3:5).
It marks the end of the church age. It is important to consider the rapture in its dispensational context – i.e. at the end of the church age and just before the beginning of the tribulation period, which will be a distinct dispensation with its own characteristics (2 Thess. 2).
It makes way for the revelation of the Antichrist. The rapture is directly related to the revelation of the Antichrist. The true church of Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, is withholding the Antichrist, who can only be revealed after the church has been taken out of the way (2 Thess. 2:6-10).
It is an escape from divine wrath. The rapture also constitutes a dramatic rescue operation in which true believers will be removed from the scene of impending divine judgements upon earth, since they are not the objects of God’s wrath (1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9; Luke 21:36).
It is a motivation for steadfastness. There will be a great end-time falling away from the truth of God’s Word. Christians having the hope of Christ’s coming, purify themselves as He is pure (1 John 3:3), and resist any tendency to grow cold in their love for Him (Matt. 24:12).
It is a summons to the judgement seat of Christ. The certainty of the rapture confronts us with the solemn prospect of appearing before Christ at His judgement seat to give account of our lives (Rom. 14:10-12; 2 Cor. 5:10).
It is a journey to the marriage of the Lamb. After appearing before the judgement seat, believers forming the bride will be united to the heavenly Bridegroom never to be separated from Him again (Rev. 19:7-8; Ps. 45:9).
It is a journey to our eternal home. The Lord Jesus promised that He would return to take the saints away to their heavenly abode in His Father’s house with the many mansions (John 14:2-3). “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9). What a wonderful future to look forward to!
It will promote us to be co-rulers with Christ. After the rapture and the tribulation period, the glorified saints will return with Christ and reign with Him as kings on earth (Luke 19:17-19; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 2:26-27; 5:10).
P.S. For supporting literature, please consult the website www.bibleguidance.co.za The author may be contacted at johan@bibleguidance.co.za
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Feminine Power..the Lie by L.S.W.
feminine power..the lie
Just read the article (Feminine Power, by Nancy Campbell)...It would make for interesting discussion. Here are a few points which I wish to offer from an "older woman" perspective.
When I was your age...possibly a bit younger, there was a great push in the church for the woman to "submit" to her husband based on biblical passages. This of course benefited the man greatly. He could be anything in the home...within reason of course...and be fully justified. I witnessed many intelligent women overburden by their husband's demand for complete submission. The women would exalt their husbands and their homes seemed to be run in an orderly manner, however this ideology began to hang over these women likeThe Sword Of Damocles. This was the first swing of the pendulum of the disastrous misunderstanding about men and women. In the secular arena the pendulum was swinging in the opposite direction, in essence the same thing was happening in the form of the feminist movement. Under this subtle lie, women were still submitting to being conformed to man's image of her. The "church woman" conformed to man's image by attempting to fulfill the male's idea of Ephesians 5:22. The feminist movement unknown to themselves at the time was also conforming to man's desire through casting off their feminity and thus giving into man's sexual lust. Abortion is only beneficial to the male population. And the "submissive wife" as was touted in the church in the 70's is also only beneficial to man's desire to be his own king. Now, the women who live under such dominion will defend both aspects as pure and good, however the basis for both is equally the same. We must go back to Genesis to understand the dilemma of male and female relationships. It is our "constitution" because it is the beginning of man. We can not stray from the original story or we will insert a plethora of self centered misunderstandings
Adam was created. Adam was alone, there was no such thing as a "female" to Adam. There were however male and female in the animal kingdom...In Genesis 2:15 Adam was put in the garden of Eden and given the command which involved the "tree", yet Eve was not yet "formed" as we know her. She was in the mind of God; however Adam had not seen his need for her until he observed the other animals. We must remember that God created Adam to demonstrate His image. Adam was created to be the "image bearer"...or "exhibitor" of the glory of God. However, first Adam had to learn about God. This was done through introduction and need; the basis for all good instruction. Adam was introduced to the evidence of life through the interactions of the beasts, birds, and livestock. Genesis 2:19-20. He began to understand that he could not produce life by himself, the first evidence that he needed God. After all, Adam was made innocent and intelligent but he was not born omniscient. This had to be introduced and accepted slowly just as we train a child. Adam was as a child. All things God created in Adam and for Adam was to teach and direct him towards the revelation of God Himself. Thus, the gentle leading of the Lord brought Adam to a place where he realized the need of a "help meet"; another to fulfill the life cycle. Now, here is an interesting and oftentimes overlooked point. Eve was not created separately, but '"drawn" from Adam. So, therefore the elements of woman were already contained within Adam. Adam thus began his life containing both female and male elements. God has not left us to suppose this fact, for the male still contains both elements in the case of determining gender of a child. Thus, the verse Genesis 1:27 corroborate this evidence. Adam declared this fact in Genesis 2:23. So, now we have a totally unique creation...Adam is separated in two, which now has the ability to birth "another"; the one becomes two which unites to become one, other words they are one flesh that creates one flesh. Woman was not created from the dust, but pulled from Adam. The two are one...one does not dictate nor own another. It is one more step towards the understanding the Holy Trinity.
The next logical question is, "What elements did God draw from man to make woman?" The elements of feminity are that of a "harbor". The ultimate and most blessed aspect of woman is not for the pleasure of man, but that life is grown within her womb. The Proverbs 31 woman is the utmost example of womanhood. This cannot be achieved by mortal flesh; however it is an indication of the elements drawn from man. The "Proverbs woman" is one who "completes the work" with the diligence, love and submission to her husband and family. This must be viewed from the aspect that all scripture is to direct us to God's original goal, which is a revelation of Himself. How are we to be the "exhibitors" of Christ's glory if we are continually referencing scriptures back to ourselves? We must remember that we are ignorant to the ways of God and therefore must be shown and led through imagery and simple messages which continuously point to Christ who is the All and All.
Another key element of woman's creation is that she was made from Adam's rib. Why not a finger? Or a Toe? Why not some other part of Adam? What is the significance of the rib? One element of the rib is that it protects the heart. So, it stands to reason, that woman was made from Adam’s rib as a symbol of protection of the heart, or the “womb of life”. She was given all the attributes of the heart...gentleness, nurturing, sensitivity, to name just a few. It was once said that murder is only in the heart of woman to protect her own...whereas a man will kill for dominance. This theory proves to be true when we look at what happened after the 'fall'.
The next question that springs to mind is, “Then who is man?” Any harbor needs a fortress or “strength” to be a harbor. It can not exist without a fortress or wall...if the protection is removed the harbor becomes nonexistent. This is the role of the male...to protect and serve the woman as Christ protects and serves the true church.
So, the serpent comes to the woman. He comes to the very heart of man. Why does he not go to Adam? According to the article, Satan knew that if he was to tempt Adam first, that Adam would have stood up for truth and told the serpent to get off! Now, this statement can not be defended for two reasons, (1) because of Adam’s locale during the temptation. Where was Adam? Genesis 3:6 states man was standing right by woman. (2) The foremost element that needs to be understood is that "ADAM" meant both male and female, for the woman did not have a name until after the deception. Then and only then was woman given the name Eve...by Adam and the two became truly separated...a chasm as wide as eternity. Satan introduced a false notion of "godhood" before God could lead Adam to the understanding of His goal, which I state again, is to make a "bearer of God's image" or an exhibitor, worshipper, testimony of God's glory. Satan introduced the lie that he desired for himself, "I will be like the most high". Isaiah 14:14.
It is true that Satan directed his lies to woman. Remember she is the harbor of life. If a person wishes to destroy a well, he does not tear down the wall, but pours poison directly into the water. Satan's poison was half truths and innuendos directed at woman. Woman was deceived, but man acted in full knowledge. Man was standing right beside woman. It is most difficult to understand the unity of man and woman at this point, for we have lived in disharmony since the fall. Man and woman did not act separately for they were not separate but of one flesh. It is only after the fall of mankind that man and woman have been at odds. When seen from this perspective, the deviant behavior of anything less than what God intended in the beginning of "one flesh" is nothing less than sin, for it does not display the True nature of God." Therefore, placing woman as a great influence over man, without the willingness of man as the article claims, "Basically men want to please their wives. They want to make them happy, because that makes them happy" is a distortion, for man can only please himself. The Author of the article begins with the verse Genesis 3:17 RSV, "And to Adam he said, because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you." It is a declaration of man's sin. It was man's ears who "listened". God states to man, "because YOU have listened". He places all responsibility upon Adam for his actions. It was a direct action on man's part to listen, no seduction or deception was allotted to man. It was the woman who was deceived, the man was not. So therefore, no 'basic' nature within the heart of man wishes to please his wife. This is a falsehood which women wish to believe for our "desire is for the man" Genesis 3:16 It is true that man is cowardly since the fall and will do things to please a woman to save or benefit himself. But, his base nature is not to make his wife happy. This notion lays all the blame on woman's doorstep for the destruction of the male, as the original utterance from man to God when asked about his hiddeness. Genesis 3:12.
Before I go further I must draw you back to the original reason for the creation of man, which is to be the "exhibitors" of Christ's glory. Thus, the true essence of the man/woman conflict lies within the spiritual realm. The basic premise of God's plan has not changed, which is the revelation of His nature through man. Thus, in 1 Corinthians 11:3, Paul states, But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. Satan's main objective is to destroy and distort the object of God's testimony. And into this world God descends into the human form of Jesus. This was the beginning to the true understanding of marriage. Jesus being the very heart of God, His Son becomes the "harbor" through which life is solidified and the Glory of God exalted. God, the Father is the wall and fortress to His delicate Son. Jesus claims "I can do nothing of myself" for He completely relies on the strength of His Father. Through total obedience to His Father unto death He walks. The result is LIFE fueled by divine LOVE. In the very beginning God was leading Adam to this magnificent revelation of Himself through His creation. Satan did not thwart God's plan...he merely altered the path. And the path was made Glorious by the union of the Holy Trinity.
However, as human beings we are still blaming each other for our failings before God. Woman is still trying to gain back what she lost, which was "oneness" with her husband. It is nearly impossible for woman to believe she is not the cause of all. This is where her pride reigns supreme. It is equally impossible for man to believe he has any fault at all...and this is where his pride reigns supreme. Both are complete self centered attributes which fuel the covetness of both. In the fall, females became territorial for they were initially made to be the harbors of life; the original strength became our greatest weakness. "The desire for the man" is a deadly distortion of our divine gift from God. It places woman as the director of the household and the one who declares, "I am a society changer!" as stated in the article. The Lord God declared this would be her fate, when He stated to woman that her "desire" would be for her husband. Genesis 3:16 this word "desire" is the same used for Cain when the Lord cautioned him “sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you” Genesis 4:6. The desire is one of covetness. So the woman's influence, if any, is in the "craving" for a man.
Now, we come to the issue...does a woman have great influence over a man? (1) Yes she does in the essence that one who craves something will do anything to get it. That is the same desire that motivates Satan. (2) No she does not, for she has only as much as the man is willing to give. So, in reality both fallen man and woman are driven by the same desire. Solomon was not influenced by Sheba beyond what he desired. The author of the article states "Even King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, turned from the living God to serve idols because of the influence of his wives. We read about this in 1 Kings 11:1-11, "But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh (gave his heart to them): women from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, 'You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. For surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.' Solomon clung to them in love... For it was so, when Solomon was old that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David... Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab and for Moloch the abomination of the people of Ammon. And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. So the Lord became angry with Solomon..." It was Solomon who chose these women; the influence was by his permission. Remember, Bathsheba was his mother and she warned Solomon about the Queen of Sheba. Why was Bathsheba's influence less than Sheba's? It was because of Solomon and his lust...not because of the power of a woman. Jezebel, the most evil woman in the Bible acted on the needs of her father and husband. Her father introduced her to idolatry...her husband was a moody brat and her "desire" for him determined her actions. Both were guilty, however Jezebel was only blamed. Not unlike the garden. Bathsheba is often touted as a seductress because of her midnight bath...however, why was David not with his men? David had full capability of walking away. Women should acknowledge the deviousness of sin and their treacherous nature apart from Christ, however to put women as the greatest influence over man plays into the very lie that woman can own man. Apart from Christ's redemption, women are very territorial and will destroy if given the chance. However, this article places all culpability on the woman's shoulders. And in placing this much power upon a woman’s shoulders requires the woman to be the “head” of the man. It is subtle and hidden under servant status. The article states,”
"As a woman we have power to make great men or little men.
In the same way, we influence our children, and ultimately the whole of society. In most cases, after each new king of Israel or Judah is introduced to us in the Bible, it gives the name of his mother and then immediately states whether her son did "that which was evil in the sight of the Lord" or whether he did "that which was right in the sight of the Lord." The influence of his mother not only determined the future of her son, but the outcome of the whole nation!"
What is lacking in the Christian home is man's submission to Christ. It begins with man and not with woman. The woman is influential only as far as man allows. As a Christian man he is responsible for the home if there is discord. He answers to Christ. The ultimate issue is not whether woman has influence, or that man is shirking his responsibility, rather are both in full submission to our Lord Jesus, for He the Bridegroom to both man and woman; there is no gender in Christ. Our responsibility is to display this new life in our earthly marriage. The influence the article talks about becomes a moot point if we have one goal and that is to be solely owned by Christ; to accept our original and intended creation as "exhibitors" of God's glory. Let us not get sidetracked into "human relations" because they truly do not exist in God's kingdom. When we stand before our Lord Jesus we stand as individuals not as gender. If we are truly belonging to Christ we are commissioned to "Love one another as I have loved you" John 15:17. This eliminates any idea of our influence, for the "influential" hand will be that of the Holy Spirit, not "man". Human relations require boundaries and definitions...whereas in Christ's Life no boundaries need be, for all is swallowed up in Christ's Love.
L.S.W.
*********************************************************************************************************************************************************I I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, Isaiah 62:6
http://www.truthforlife.org/listen_daily.php?id=369 Alistair Begg...Very interesting
Just read the article (Feminine Power, by Nancy Campbell)...It would make for interesting discussion. Here are a few points which I wish to offer from an "older woman" perspective.
When I was your age...possibly a bit younger, there was a great push in the church for the woman to "submit" to her husband based on biblical passages. This of course benefited the man greatly. He could be anything in the home...within reason of course...and be fully justified. I witnessed many intelligent women overburden by their husband's demand for complete submission. The women would exalt their husbands and their homes seemed to be run in an orderly manner, however this ideology began to hang over these women likeThe Sword Of Damocles. This was the first swing of the pendulum of the disastrous misunderstanding about men and women. In the secular arena the pendulum was swinging in the opposite direction, in essence the same thing was happening in the form of the feminist movement. Under this subtle lie, women were still submitting to being conformed to man's image of her. The "church woman" conformed to man's image by attempting to fulfill the male's idea of Ephesians 5:22. The feminist movement unknown to themselves at the time was also conforming to man's desire through casting off their feminity and thus giving into man's sexual lust. Abortion is only beneficial to the male population. And the "submissive wife" as was touted in the church in the 70's is also only beneficial to man's desire to be his own king. Now, the women who live under such dominion will defend both aspects as pure and good, however the basis for both is equally the same. We must go back to Genesis to understand the dilemma of male and female relationships. It is our "constitution" because it is the beginning of man. We can not stray from the original story or we will insert a plethora of self centered misunderstandings
Adam was created. Adam was alone, there was no such thing as a "female" to Adam. There were however male and female in the animal kingdom...In Genesis 2:15 Adam was put in the garden of Eden and given the command which involved the "tree", yet Eve was not yet "formed" as we know her. She was in the mind of God; however Adam had not seen his need for her until he observed the other animals. We must remember that God created Adam to demonstrate His image. Adam was created to be the "image bearer"...or "exhibitor" of the glory of God. However, first Adam had to learn about God. This was done through introduction and need; the basis for all good instruction. Adam was introduced to the evidence of life through the interactions of the beasts, birds, and livestock. Genesis 2:19-20. He began to understand that he could not produce life by himself, the first evidence that he needed God. After all, Adam was made innocent and intelligent but he was not born omniscient. This had to be introduced and accepted slowly just as we train a child. Adam was as a child. All things God created in Adam and for Adam was to teach and direct him towards the revelation of God Himself. Thus, the gentle leading of the Lord brought Adam to a place where he realized the need of a "help meet"; another to fulfill the life cycle. Now, here is an interesting and oftentimes overlooked point. Eve was not created separately, but '"drawn" from Adam. So, therefore the elements of woman were already contained within Adam. Adam thus began his life containing both female and male elements. God has not left us to suppose this fact, for the male still contains both elements in the case of determining gender of a child. Thus, the verse Genesis 1:27 corroborate this evidence. Adam declared this fact in Genesis 2:23. So, now we have a totally unique creation...Adam is separated in two, which now has the ability to birth "another"; the one becomes two which unites to become one, other words they are one flesh that creates one flesh. Woman was not created from the dust, but pulled from Adam. The two are one...one does not dictate nor own another. It is one more step towards the understanding the Holy Trinity.
The next logical question is, "What elements did God draw from man to make woman?" The elements of feminity are that of a "harbor". The ultimate and most blessed aspect of woman is not for the pleasure of man, but that life is grown within her womb. The Proverbs 31 woman is the utmost example of womanhood. This cannot be achieved by mortal flesh; however it is an indication of the elements drawn from man. The "Proverbs woman" is one who "completes the work" with the diligence, love and submission to her husband and family. This must be viewed from the aspect that all scripture is to direct us to God's original goal, which is a revelation of Himself. How are we to be the "exhibitors" of Christ's glory if we are continually referencing scriptures back to ourselves? We must remember that we are ignorant to the ways of God and therefore must be shown and led through imagery and simple messages which continuously point to Christ who is the All and All.
Another key element of woman's creation is that she was made from Adam's rib. Why not a finger? Or a Toe? Why not some other part of Adam? What is the significance of the rib? One element of the rib is that it protects the heart. So, it stands to reason, that woman was made from Adam’s rib as a symbol of protection of the heart, or the “womb of life”. She was given all the attributes of the heart...gentleness, nurturing, sensitivity, to name just a few. It was once said that murder is only in the heart of woman to protect her own...whereas a man will kill for dominance. This theory proves to be true when we look at what happened after the 'fall'.
The next question that springs to mind is, “Then who is man?” Any harbor needs a fortress or “strength” to be a harbor. It can not exist without a fortress or wall...if the protection is removed the harbor becomes nonexistent. This is the role of the male...to protect and serve the woman as Christ protects and serves the true church.
So, the serpent comes to the woman. He comes to the very heart of man. Why does he not go to Adam? According to the article, Satan knew that if he was to tempt Adam first, that Adam would have stood up for truth and told the serpent to get off! Now, this statement can not be defended for two reasons, (1) because of Adam’s locale during the temptation. Where was Adam? Genesis 3:6 states man was standing right by woman. (2) The foremost element that needs to be understood is that "ADAM" meant both male and female, for the woman did not have a name until after the deception. Then and only then was woman given the name Eve...by Adam and the two became truly separated...a chasm as wide as eternity. Satan introduced a false notion of "godhood" before God could lead Adam to the understanding of His goal, which I state again, is to make a "bearer of God's image" or an exhibitor, worshipper, testimony of God's glory. Satan introduced the lie that he desired for himself, "I will be like the most high". Isaiah 14:14.
It is true that Satan directed his lies to woman. Remember she is the harbor of life. If a person wishes to destroy a well, he does not tear down the wall, but pours poison directly into the water. Satan's poison was half truths and innuendos directed at woman. Woman was deceived, but man acted in full knowledge. Man was standing right beside woman. It is most difficult to understand the unity of man and woman at this point, for we have lived in disharmony since the fall. Man and woman did not act separately for they were not separate but of one flesh. It is only after the fall of mankind that man and woman have been at odds. When seen from this perspective, the deviant behavior of anything less than what God intended in the beginning of "one flesh" is nothing less than sin, for it does not display the True nature of God." Therefore, placing woman as a great influence over man, without the willingness of man as the article claims, "Basically men want to please their wives. They want to make them happy, because that makes them happy" is a distortion, for man can only please himself. The Author of the article begins with the verse Genesis 3:17 RSV, "And to Adam he said, because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you." It is a declaration of man's sin. It was man's ears who "listened". God states to man, "because YOU have listened". He places all responsibility upon Adam for his actions. It was a direct action on man's part to listen, no seduction or deception was allotted to man. It was the woman who was deceived, the man was not. So therefore, no 'basic' nature within the heart of man wishes to please his wife. This is a falsehood which women wish to believe for our "desire is for the man" Genesis 3:16 It is true that man is cowardly since the fall and will do things to please a woman to save or benefit himself. But, his base nature is not to make his wife happy. This notion lays all the blame on woman's doorstep for the destruction of the male, as the original utterance from man to God when asked about his hiddeness. Genesis 3:12.
Before I go further I must draw you back to the original reason for the creation of man, which is to be the "exhibitors" of Christ's glory. Thus, the true essence of the man/woman conflict lies within the spiritual realm. The basic premise of God's plan has not changed, which is the revelation of His nature through man. Thus, in 1 Corinthians 11:3, Paul states, But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. Satan's main objective is to destroy and distort the object of God's testimony. And into this world God descends into the human form of Jesus. This was the beginning to the true understanding of marriage. Jesus being the very heart of God, His Son becomes the "harbor" through which life is solidified and the Glory of God exalted. God, the Father is the wall and fortress to His delicate Son. Jesus claims "I can do nothing of myself" for He completely relies on the strength of His Father. Through total obedience to His Father unto death He walks. The result is LIFE fueled by divine LOVE. In the very beginning God was leading Adam to this magnificent revelation of Himself through His creation. Satan did not thwart God's plan...he merely altered the path. And the path was made Glorious by the union of the Holy Trinity.
However, as human beings we are still blaming each other for our failings before God. Woman is still trying to gain back what she lost, which was "oneness" with her husband. It is nearly impossible for woman to believe she is not the cause of all. This is where her pride reigns supreme. It is equally impossible for man to believe he has any fault at all...and this is where his pride reigns supreme. Both are complete self centered attributes which fuel the covetness of both. In the fall, females became territorial for they were initially made to be the harbors of life; the original strength became our greatest weakness. "The desire for the man" is a deadly distortion of our divine gift from God. It places woman as the director of the household and the one who declares, "I am a society changer!" as stated in the article. The Lord God declared this would be her fate, when He stated to woman that her "desire" would be for her husband. Genesis 3:16 this word "desire" is the same used for Cain when the Lord cautioned him “sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you” Genesis 4:6. The desire is one of covetness. So the woman's influence, if any, is in the "craving" for a man.
Now, we come to the issue...does a woman have great influence over a man? (1) Yes she does in the essence that one who craves something will do anything to get it. That is the same desire that motivates Satan. (2) No she does not, for she has only as much as the man is willing to give. So, in reality both fallen man and woman are driven by the same desire. Solomon was not influenced by Sheba beyond what he desired. The author of the article states "Even King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, turned from the living God to serve idols because of the influence of his wives. We read about this in 1 Kings 11:1-11, "But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh (gave his heart to them): women from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, 'You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. For surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.' Solomon clung to them in love... For it was so, when Solomon was old that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David... Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab and for Moloch the abomination of the people of Ammon. And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. So the Lord became angry with Solomon..." It was Solomon who chose these women; the influence was by his permission. Remember, Bathsheba was his mother and she warned Solomon about the Queen of Sheba. Why was Bathsheba's influence less than Sheba's? It was because of Solomon and his lust...not because of the power of a woman. Jezebel, the most evil woman in the Bible acted on the needs of her father and husband. Her father introduced her to idolatry...her husband was a moody brat and her "desire" for him determined her actions. Both were guilty, however Jezebel was only blamed. Not unlike the garden. Bathsheba is often touted as a seductress because of her midnight bath...however, why was David not with his men? David had full capability of walking away. Women should acknowledge the deviousness of sin and their treacherous nature apart from Christ, however to put women as the greatest influence over man plays into the very lie that woman can own man. Apart from Christ's redemption, women are very territorial and will destroy if given the chance. However, this article places all culpability on the woman's shoulders. And in placing this much power upon a woman’s shoulders requires the woman to be the “head” of the man. It is subtle and hidden under servant status. The article states,”
"As a woman we have power to make great men or little men.
In the same way, we influence our children, and ultimately the whole of society. In most cases, after each new king of Israel or Judah is introduced to us in the Bible, it gives the name of his mother and then immediately states whether her son did "that which was evil in the sight of the Lord" or whether he did "that which was right in the sight of the Lord." The influence of his mother not only determined the future of her son, but the outcome of the whole nation!"
What is lacking in the Christian home is man's submission to Christ. It begins with man and not with woman. The woman is influential only as far as man allows. As a Christian man he is responsible for the home if there is discord. He answers to Christ. The ultimate issue is not whether woman has influence, or that man is shirking his responsibility, rather are both in full submission to our Lord Jesus, for He the Bridegroom to both man and woman; there is no gender in Christ. Our responsibility is to display this new life in our earthly marriage. The influence the article talks about becomes a moot point if we have one goal and that is to be solely owned by Christ; to accept our original and intended creation as "exhibitors" of God's glory. Let us not get sidetracked into "human relations" because they truly do not exist in God's kingdom. When we stand before our Lord Jesus we stand as individuals not as gender. If we are truly belonging to Christ we are commissioned to "Love one another as I have loved you" John 15:17. This eliminates any idea of our influence, for the "influential" hand will be that of the Holy Spirit, not "man". Human relations require boundaries and definitions...whereas in Christ's Life no boundaries need be, for all is swallowed up in Christ's Love.
L.S.W.
*********************************************************************************************************************************************************I I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, Isaiah 62:6
http://www.truthforlife.org/listen_daily.php?id=369 Alistair Begg...Very interesting
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
What A Different Life I Lead..
My oldest and youngest were playing on the front porch this afternoon, and I was standing out there with them, getting some fresh air when a school bus pulled up out front to drop off the neighbor girl. She's about the same age as my second oldest son. It's 3:15 in the afternoon..and it just occured to me what a different life I lead, compared to if my children were gone all day long. I truely do enjoy having them here..and teaching them and learning with them. Of course, I could imagine what kinds of things I could get done if they were away all day, and someone else did the teaching. My house would be so clean! I would probably have logged in much more computer time! The stairs would be painted before summer!
BUT..what would my children be learning away from me? What did they do all day? What did they learn? Who did they play with..what did they LEARN from who they played with? What kinds of morals is the teacher teaching them? And even if they were good..what good is good morals, without telling them WHO originally TEACHES those morals!? Jesus Christ! AND I know THAT will not be taught in the public school system..(or even some Christian school systems!)
So even if my child is a little bit behind in his reading, or my other doesn't know "street smarts", they will know this: That God is the creator of ALL, and the good morals are from Him! Not the world's idea of a good person.
"For the Lord grants wisdom! From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly. He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity. -Proverbs 2"6-7"
"Anyone who listens to My teaching and obeys Me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse, because it is built on rock. Matthew 7:24-25"
"And this is His commandment: We must believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. Those who obey God's commandments live in fellowship with Him, and He with them. And we know He lives in us because the Holy Spirit lives in us. 1 John 3:23-24"
BUT..what would my children be learning away from me? What did they do all day? What did they learn? Who did they play with..what did they LEARN from who they played with? What kinds of morals is the teacher teaching them? And even if they were good..what good is good morals, without telling them WHO originally TEACHES those morals!? Jesus Christ! AND I know THAT will not be taught in the public school system..(or even some Christian school systems!)
So even if my child is a little bit behind in his reading, or my other doesn't know "street smarts", they will know this: That God is the creator of ALL, and the good morals are from Him! Not the world's idea of a good person.
"For the Lord grants wisdom! From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly. He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity. -Proverbs 2"6-7"
"Anyone who listens to My teaching and obeys Me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse, because it is built on rock. Matthew 7:24-25"
"And this is His commandment: We must believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. Those who obey God's commandments live in fellowship with Him, and He with them. And we know He lives in us because the Holy Spirit lives in us. 1 John 3:23-24"
Sunday, March 19, 2006
It's Sunday night..
..and I am up trying to make copies for the boys' worksheets this week. However, I've run out of ink. Must get creative this week. I think they'll be pretty thrilled though that there won't be any phonics to do. LOL. However..science lesson again tomorrow. The boys are LOVING the Apologia Astronomy book I purchased recently. We have a balloon solar system on our living room ceiling, and tomorrow we're doing another activity with marshmallows and paperclips. (Not sure if they're excited about the activity, or the fact that they'll get to munch on marshmallows too) :P Oh well. It's certainly fun, and I'm learning too!
I can't possibly think of anything else interesting to post on here tonight. It's almost 10pm..and I'm SO ready to go to sleep. The house is tidy, and suprisingly the laundry is caught up! Ha! I'm ready for the school week to begin. If only I could sleep through the night without having to wake to pee at least twice! (with a nursing baby, at least I won't have to get out of bed :P) Oh well, it's preparing me again, I guess..not that I was ever "out of practice" in the first place. M just started sleeping through the night in Dec.! :o)
Happy 27th birthday to my long time friend, Jenn!! :o)
I can't possibly think of anything else interesting to post on here tonight. It's almost 10pm..and I'm SO ready to go to sleep. The house is tidy, and suprisingly the laundry is caught up! Ha! I'm ready for the school week to begin. If only I could sleep through the night without having to wake to pee at least twice! (with a nursing baby, at least I won't have to get out of bed :P) Oh well, it's preparing me again, I guess..not that I was ever "out of practice" in the first place. M just started sleeping through the night in Dec.! :o)
Happy 27th birthday to my long time friend, Jenn!! :o)
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
WOW! Excellent article on the SOON return of Jesus!
IT'S A MUST READ!
http://www.lamblion.com/Web15-00.php
........My friends, Jesus is coming soon, and I cry from the depths of my heart, “Maranatha!” Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
http://www.lamblion.com/Web15-00.php
........My friends, Jesus is coming soon, and I cry from the depths of my heart, “Maranatha!” Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
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